University Libraries offers a wide variety of free workshops open to students, faculty and staff from the Montclair and Bloomfield campuses. Below is a list and descriptions of workshops that are typically offered. We can also accommodate customized workshops upon request. For more information, or to request a workshop for your research team or department, contact Bonnie Fong at fongb@montclair.edu.
To see the current schedule of workshops and to register, visit the Library Workshops Event Calendar.
Library 101
An introduction to library resources and services.
Library 101 for Graduate Students
Whether you’re straight out of undergrad and are looking for a basic refresher, or if it’s been several years and you need a complete re-introduction, come to this workshop for an overview of library resources available to you as a graduate student at Montclair State University. In this workshop, we will cover: library databases and search strategies, research consultations, interlibrary services and more.
Discover Your Topic: Tools and Strategies to Help You Find the Perfect Research Topic
Identifying and developing a topic is one of the most important parts of the research process. Join us to learn how to use the resources at Montclair State University Libraries to build the foundation for an exciting research project.
Gathering Your Sources: How to Use Library Resources to Find the Information You Need
This workshop will highlight how to access different kinds of information through the Montclair State University Libraries, including books, newspaper articles, and scholarly publications. Perfect for those new to library research in a university setting.
Evaluating Sources
Join our workshop to learn the art of evaluating sources. Learn to discern credible sources, spot bias, and assess relevance. Gain critical thinking skills vital for academic success and informed decision-making.
Subject Focused Research
These sessions will cover disciplinary search strategies and search tools, such as Education Research or Business Research.
Database Research Strategies and Advanced Search Tips
In this workshop, learn some practical ways to increase the effectiveness of your database searches. As databases have become larger, searching has actually become more difficult to do well without knowing more about how these databases are being developed and managed today. We’ll discuss using Boolean searching tools to manipulate search results, how to engage with database thesauri and a controlled vocabulary, linked subject headings, setting up search alerts, and more. A useful workshop for any research-oriented faculty or graduate students, and for those who teach research in their courses.
Introduction to Literature Reviews (Part 1)
Literature reviews can be one of the most challenging parts of the research process. This workshop will help orient novice researchers to the basic concepts of planning and organizing a literature review, and is intended for seniors and graduate students. Active participation is strongly encouraged, so come prepared to engage in some fun interactive exercises. For more experienced student researchers, Part 2 of this workshop series is recommended.
Introduction to Literature Reviews (Part 2)
The second part in the Sprague Library literature review series will explore some of the more advanced concepts like synthesis matrices and vocabulary. This workshop is recommended for seniors and graduate students who have already attended Part 1 or have basic to intermediate experience with literature reviews.
Advanced Google Scholar
Google Scholar is more than just a search engine for scholarly content. Find out how to use Google Scholar more efficiently, increase your access to full-text articles, and make use of additional features to keep your research organized.
Getting Started with Endnote
Using a citation manager like EndNote to organize your references has numerous advantages, including but not limited to: collect references as you browse the web or databases; organize, highlight, and annotate your PDFs, all in one place; sync between your devices; automatically rename PDF files you’ve downloaded; generate citations instantly and change style formats with a few clicks. This is a hands-on workshop, so please bring your laptop with you. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to import your existing references into the program, collect references from the library databases, and be able to generate citations using the “Cite While You Write” plugin. If you can, please download the EndNote installation files in advance from the Software Repository.
Intro to Scholarly Publishing for Graduate Students
An introduction to scholarly publishing with a focus on scholarly journals and a brief overview of important concepts such as rankings, impact factors and more.